Police shot two men dead for money in Feni, say families

The families of two people, who were killed in an alleged ‘shootout’ with police in Feni, have alleged that law enforcers killed them for money in the name of an anti-drug crackdown.

Police detained the “victims” from their homes and demanded money, and later they shot them to death, according to the relatives.

Sahmit Hossain Shamim, 25, and Moznu Miah Monir, 23, were killed in an alleged shootout between a drug gang and the police in Dakhin Anandapur village in Fulgazi Upazila.

The family of Shamim claimed that Fulgazi police came to their house and led him away on Wednesday noon.

Shamim’s mother Anwara Begum told bdnews24.com that her son was cutting grasses for the cattle in a field and Fulgazi Sub-Inspector Shafiq arrested him around 2pm.

“Later, police demanded Tk 200,000 from us. As we could not give the money, police shot and killed him.”

Like Shamim’s mother, Rozina Begum, a sister of Monir, raised the same allegation against the police.

Rozina said a group of people came and identified themselves as detective police, and picked him from her house to Bara Mosque area in Feni town on Wednesday night. Later, police demanded Tk 150,000 from Monir’s family.

“When we went to the police super’s office at night, they drove us away. Later in the morning, they killed Monir as we could not give the money.”

Rozina claimed his brother was involved in the politics of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. “Her uncle is also a BNP activist. Police have filed a case against them as part of ‘conspiracy’. They also gave the police a huge amount of money several times.”

Fulgazi Police Chief Humayun Kabir denied the allegations about taking money and said police did not pick anyone from home and no-one demanded money. “These allegations are concocted as their families were run by illegal drug money.”

Describing the shootout, he said a police team went to Anandapur village on a tip-off that drug peddlers with illegal drugs sneaked into the village through the Indian border.

“Sensing the presence of police, the drug traffickers opened fire on them, forcing the police to fight back. This has triggered the gunfight, and Shamim and Monir died in gunfire.”

They were rushed to Feni Sadar Hospital and the doctors declared them dead, according to the police.

Kabir claimed that eight police personnel were injured during the gunfight. The police recovered a shotgun, three rounds of cartridge, 700 yaba pills and 200 bottles of Phensedyl from the scene.

In the anti-drug operation carried out amid criticism by rights groups and rival political parties, at least six people were killed in the alleged shootouts with RAB and police over the last nine days in Feni.